Experts: COVID-19
The Quebec government is offering an extra dose of mRNA vaccine to people who want to travel to countries that don't recognize their vaccination status. The Health Department says it is making a third dose available because some countries don't recognize people as being fully vaccinated if they have received a mix of COVID-19 vaccines. Officials warned that it's up to the recipient to seek advice and weigh the risks before getting a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
Experts: Forest fires and smog
More than 130 forest fires were burning in northwestern Ontario on Sunday, July 25, with Environment Canada issuing air quality statements for much of the region due to smoke. (CBC News)
Here are some experts from McGill University that can provide comment on this issue:
Experts: Ottawa tested facial recognition on millions of travellers at Toronto’s Pearson airport
The federal government quietly tested facial recognition technology on millions of unsuspecting travellers at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport in 2016. The six-month initiative, meant to pick out people the Canada Border Services Agency suspected might try to enter the country using fake identification, is detailed in a document obtained by The Globe and Mail through a freedom of information request.
Expert: Tokyo 2020 Olympics
The world needs to see that Japan can stage a safe Olympics, the country's prime minister told sports officials on Tuesday, July 20 ahead of the Tokyo Games. Tens of thousands of athletes, officials, games staff and media have arrived in Japan amid a local state of emergency and widespread opposition from the general public. Health experts in Japan have questioned allowing so many international visitors for the games.
Experts: Inuk leader Mary Simon named Canada's 1st Indigenous governor general
Inuk leader Mary Simon has been chosen as the next governor general — the first Indigenous person ever to be appointed as the Queen's representative in Canada. During a news conference at the Canadian Museum of History, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the Queen has accepted his recommendation to appoint Simon — a past president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national Inuit organization — as the 30th governor general.
Expert: Bank of Canada should start issuing digital currency, experts say
Some technologists are telling the Bank of Canada (BoC) that its wait-and-see approach when it comes to issuing digital currencies runs the risk of leaving it behind in the race to innovate globally. Although its Governor Tiff Macklem said in April that the pandemic has accelerated the digital economy and “the case for a digital currency becomes more compelling,” the central bank says it has no immediate plans to launch a digital loonie.
Experts: Indigenous initiatives at McGill University
In June, we commemorate National Indigenous History Month 2021 to recognize the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada.
Expert: Green Party's Annamie Paul survives emergency meeting over leadership
The leadership of the Green Party's Annamie Paul is safe — for now — after party brass decided late Tuesday not to kick-start a process that could have ultimately ousted her as leader of the party. Tuesday night's decision follows a difficult few weeks for the party, which has been ripped apart by internal disputes over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (CBC News)
Experts: U.S. seeking $25M from Air Canada for being slow to refund customers
The U.S. Department of Transportation is seeking a $25.5 million US penalty against Air Canada for "failing to provide consumers prompt refunds" after cancelling their flights amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In a "notice of enforcement proceeding" issued by the department on Tuesday, June 15, the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection says Air Canada "unlawfully failed to provide timely refunds" for flights between the United States and Canada that were cancelled or significantly changed.
Experts: FDA approves much-debated Alzheimer's drug panned by experts
U.S. government health officials approved the first new drug for Alzheimer's disease in nearly 20 years, disregarding warnings from independent advisers that the much-debated treatment hasn't been shown to help slow the brain-destroying disease. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it granted approval to the drug from Biogen based on results that seemed “reasonably likely” to benefit Alzheimer's patients.
Experts: Pride Month | June 2021
June is Pride Month in Canada. It is a time when we celebrate diversity and LGBTQ+ communities, acknowledge their history, the hardships they have endured, and the progress that has been made. (CBC News)
Here are some experts from McGill University that can provide comment on this issue:
Expert: World Food Safety Day | June 7
World Food Safety Day (WFSD) celebrated on 7 June 2021 aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. This year’s theme, ‘Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow’, stresses that production and consumption of safe food has immediate and long-term benefits for people, the planet and the economy.
Experts: Remains of 215 children found buried at a former residential school
Preliminary findings from a survey of the grounds at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School have uncovered the remains of 215 children buried at the site in British Columbia. In a statement, the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation explained they hired a specialist in ground-penetrating radar to carry out the work, and that their language and culture department oversaw the project to ensure it was done in a culturally appropriate and respectful way.
Expert: Belarus faces sanctions over Ryanair ‘hijacking’
Western powers prepared to pile sanctions on Belarus and cut off its aviation links after it scrambled a warplane to intercept a Ryanair aircraft and arrest a dissident journalist’. In a video posted online, the detained blogger, Roman Protasevich, 26, said he was in good health, being held in a pretrial detention facility in Minsk, and acknowledged having played a role in organizing mass disturbances in the capital last year.
Experts: International Day for Biological Diversity | May 22
As the global community is called to re-examine our relationship to the natural world, one thing is certain: despite all our technological advances, humans are completely dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems for water, food, medicines, clothes, fuel, shelter, and energy, just to name a few.
